What are the ethical challenges of podcasting?


Advantages and disadvantages of podcasting (Shaveena)

- related problems in the workplace? in the classroom?
- Commercial aspects: selling podcasts (security and provacy of data)

Advantages Of Podcasting
- it is relatively easy and hassle free to create a podcast and there is no need to buy expensive equipment. Easily available to all kinds of users. Don’t even need an ipod.
- RSS technology downloads new entries automatically to an aggregator program, that keeps readers from having to visit each individual site. If a listener subscribes to a feed source, then the new podcasts download automatically.
-Radio programmes have been revived by new generation of podcasters. Old radio programmes that had a big following are being appreciated again. A lot of high quality content has become available thanks to podcasting.
-The portability and on demand nature of podcasting is one of the greatest advantages. Listeners are allowed to catch up on things like entertainment, news, learning, etc, without having to sit at a computer and also while doing other work. Podcasting is like another form of mobile learning.
- podcasting is great for people who learn better aurally.

Disadvantages of Podcasting
- sufficient bandwidth is needed for downloading MP3 audio files
- there is no interaction or audience participation
- the quality of amateur podcasts differ greatly from professional podcasts
- The User has to find the appropriate podcasts that he wants to subscribe to which is very time consuming
- The periods of updates of podcasts are very different, so it's more complicated to organize a whole new set of podcasts to listen to for every day
- There are so many offers with very poor content so it's very difficult to find a few good ones
- Podcasting is offline and so not live, this also means that direct interaction is very limited and can only be realized in a delayed manner, like for example a reaction to emails in the next podcast show
- Commercial podcasts will more likely guarantee good content quality but then there will be a fee to pay

Podcasting in Education - allows teachers and students to create authentic audio and video material
- mobility allows for learning anytime, anywhere.
- deliver educational content for listening or viewing on any computer or iPod, freeing learning from constraints of the classroom and its clock.
- can be anything: a recorded lecture, a foreign language lesson, a demonstration of biology principles.
- wide-range of educational content being developed for and delivered by podcasting. anything from curriculum-related presentations to professional development communities, where educators distribute content and best practices between members.
- Institutions can support podcasting across their campuses through the Apple Podcasting Server. Educators can publish their podcast files as an attachments to a weblog, much like attaching a file to an email message.
- can subscribe to different educational material through the click of a button

Who controls podcasting? (SungHyup)


The main controller is one who speaks on air, podcaster. Peoples don’t need to be a head of country or company to send their voice messages through Podcast. Anyone can be an owner of their own podcast to speech, and spread their thoughts, ideas, and other information related what they’re podcasting. The Podcast can be called as a voice blog, so that blogger’s personality shows on Podcast. They control recording of course, and modify their voice such as cutting and adding. There are no rules whether one person or many people make Podcast. A group can make Podcast to be more wide information, argue, discuss, and evaluate each other since group has to be more than one person. Podcast is free media for all and everyone can join however, not just only personally, even company, or even one certain country can use Podcast to advertise, give news, basic information to worldwide network.

Censorship and editorial rights (freedom of speech issues) (Nader)

- Creative Commons licensing development

The Creative commons is a new and amazing system implemented in order to creative some similar ground of understanding between internet users. According the the Creative Commons site, anything and everything "is protected, whether you file for protection or not". Therefore it should be a common understanding between all internet users, that if the particular copyright type is not mentioned, then it would be considered illegal to use that data. However, to allow some form of destibtuing and sharing as "innovation and new ideas come from building off existing ones", the Creative Commons site has mapped out certain rules and regulations for the owner of the material. Each rule depends on how generous the owner chooses to be with his/her material.
1. Attribution Requirement - The Owner gives people the right to use his/her material as long as they give him (the owner) credit for it, clearly on their site.
2. Non Commercial Use - This gives the owner the right to distribute his content freely. However, whosoever chooses to copy this material cannot use it to earn money. If he/she wishes to use the material to earn money, the owner's permission is needed.
3. No Derivative Works - This allows the content to be distributed. However, the document/file/material cannot be altered.
4. Share Alike - Gives the person (who's copying the owner's work) the ability to earn money from the material copied, however must follow the other requirements first (if given) before using it to earn money.
  • Misrepresentation or extremism
Content placed
  • Policy developent to protect the users and the creators of podcasts (ALL)

Script

Nader (N), Shaveena (SH), Sung Hyup (SU)

N = Good morning ladies and gents, I'm Nader Salam, alongside Shaveena Anam and Sung Hyup Cho. Welcome to the one and only podcast giving you the latest info in todays world of technology. Today our topic in focus is the entire concept and idea of Podcasting! Right?

SH = Yup! Shaveena here. For those who aren't really certain about what Podcasting is, it's a source of audio recorded information, placed on the web for a selected audience. For example, this program would be commonly referred as a podcast.

SU = I think the main issue we're covering today is a little more into the topic of podcasting. This one podcast will be a discussion focused on "The Ethical Issues of Podcasting".

N = Yeah! Well, what is so great about Podcasting really? I mean we have the television, we have online video streaming... what is the deal with audio broadcasting?

SU = Yeah, i barely use it... All i need is my stable internet connection, and Youtube.

SH = It's not all that useless. It is relatively easy and hassle free to create a podcast and there is no need to buy expensive equipment.

SU = Alright, so it's free! What else?

SH = Easily available to all kinds of users. Don’t even need an ipod.

N = Okay... Both of these are common to other forms of data on the internet, such as video downloading/streaming sites.

SH = Alright, RSS technology downloads new entries automatically to an aggregator program, that keeps readers from having to visit each individual site. If a listener subscribes to a feed source, then the new podcasts download automatically.

SU = That's true, it does come in handy there. It practically hands all the new posts directly to you.

SH = And for those who really miss the good old radio stations, radio programmes have been revived by a new generation of podcasters. Old radio programmes that had a big following are being appreciated again. A lot of high quality content has become available thanks to podcasting.

N = Hmmm...

SH = The portability and on demand nature of podcasting is one of the greatest advantages. Listeners are allowed to catch up on things like entertainment, news, learning, etc, without having to sit at a computer and also while doing other work. Podcasting is like another form of mobile learning. And podcasting is great for people who learn better aurally.

SU = Well... i guess it does have it's unique advantages... don't you think so?

N = Yeah... i guess im convinced.

SH: but there are several disadvantages with podcasts too.

N: I knew it! What are they?

SH: well it’s a relatively large file, so you need sufficient bandwidth for uploading or downloading the mp3. Also if a user wants a specific podcast they have to search and then subscribe to it. So its time consuming.

SU: there is also no interaction with an audience. like a reaction to emails would be included in the next podcast show.

N: I know one. Since anyone can make podcasts, I’m sure that there are some that there are some amateur ones that are really really bad and other professional or commercial ones that are of really great quality. And how do you know where to get good ones? You wouldn’t know how good the content is till you download it.

SH: Yeah, and as it audio, you can't exactly skim through it, so if you're looking for something in particular you'll have to listen to the whole thing.

SU: But everyone is podcasting! They have made a big impact in schools because they can be anything a recorded lecture, a foreign language lesson, a demonstration of biology principles.

SH: yeah. In schools, teachers and students create authentic audio and video material. Teachers put up whole course materials into podcasts so if students miss out on lectures in class, they can catch up by listening on a podcast.

N: Wow, people don’t even have to go to school then! And its totally mobile, we can learn anywhere and anytime. That’s cool.

SU: Yes you can subscribe to different educational material through the click of a button

SH - yeah but there are always issues of authenticity and reliabilty of the podcasts. as we've said before, anyone can put anything up, so a student may download a podcasts thnking its a educational podcast about the digestive system or something and uses it to work, but all the information could be inaccurate.

SU- that's a really big ethical problem isnt it.

SH- Hey, who controls the podcast?

NA - yeah, I want to know about it too, and what do they actually control?

SU - anyone can control the podcast, I mean control as, record, upload and delete. A PC with stable internet connection, microphone to record, and ideas to spread and share, anyone can control, which means they can make their own podcasts.

SH - Alright... we have a good idea about how all the negative and positive aspects of podcasting and how we can control our own podcasts, let's try and make one of our own...

N - Wait wait wait! Don't you guys wanna know about whether our podcast is safe on the net?

SU - What do you mean?

N - I mean, if we're going to put something amazing and creative stuff on the web, what stopping people from taking our podcast, and misusing it, or earning money from it? don't you want to know?

SH - Well yeah... didn't think of that though... i guess i just thought our podcast would be safe.

N- Well, technically it is safe. According to the creative commons, any content being uploaded onto the web, is automatically protected...

SU - So... that pretty much protects everything... so there's nothing to worry about right?

SH - But Sunny... what about giving people a few more rights rather than just being able to listen to the podcast... it's our responsibility to be specific, because we do want to share our information. It's now our responsibility to give the appropriate amount of privileges to the public.

SU - So, is it possible to apply a specific law, rather than something so vague.

N - Yeah. Infact... the creative commons have made it easier for us, and have put together a set of different types of right. Each of which give the visitor/customer different levels of access.

SU - Well what are they?

N - 1. Attribution Requirement - The Owner gives people the right to use his/her material as long as they give him (the owner) credit for it, clearly on their site.
2. Non Commercial Use - This gives the owner the right to distribute his content freely. However, whosoever chooses to copy this material cannot use it to earn money. If he/she wishes to use the material to earn money, the owner's permission is needed.
3. No Derivative Works - This allows the content to be distributed. However, the document/file/material cannot be altered.
4. Share Alike - Gives the person (who's copying the owner's work) the ability to earn money from the material copied, however must follow the other requirements first (if given) before using it to earn money.

SU - So in this case which would we use?

N - Uhhh... I'm not completely sure what i want... Shaveena?

SH - Well, i would say we should apply an Attribution Requirement, so people can give us credit... A Non Commerical Use license, so they can't earn moeny from it without asking us, and maybe... a No Derivative works license, so that way they can't alter our work.

N - Perfect!



LINKS

- http://weblogs.macromedia.com/jd/archives/2006/04/podcast_control.cfm
JD on EP: Podcast controls
- http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/samples/TCoPodcastingMacSample-1.2.pdf
Take Control of Podcasting on the Mac (PDF FILE)
- http://www.mnstate.edu/InstrTech/Handouts/MultimediaDevelopment/PodCasting/introduction_to_podcasting.htm
Introduction to Podcasting
- http://ezinearticles.com/?Podcasting-Trend&id=49037
what is podcasting and advantages of podcasting
- http://www.learningcircuits.org/2005/jun2005/0506_trends.htm
Impact on academic and corporate learning
- http://podcastproductionservices.blogspot.com/2006/01/advantages-of-podcasting.html
blog on advantages of podcasting
- http://www.onlypodcasting.com/podcasting-articles/history-of-podcasting.php
advantages and history of podcasting
- http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/ICTineducation/ictadvice/Podcasting/introduction.asp
-http://blogtrepreneur.blogspot.com/2006/05/different-ways-to-blog-podcasting.html
advantages and disadvantages of podcasting
http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/comics1
A guide through the Creative Commons copyright laws and regulations
http://education.guardian.co.uk/appleeducation/story/0,,1682639,00.html
podcasting in school